Jamsetji’s dreams of building a modern steel plant, a hydroelectric power plant and a university of science were fulfilled by his sons — Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Dorabji Tata, who went on to grow his business empire manifold and epitomise his vision of constructive philanthropy. Under the noble lineage of Jamsetji Tata, a number of trusts have been established over the years – the largest being the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, which operate under the umbrella of the Tata Trusts. The Trusts own two-third of the stock holding of Tata Sons, the apex company of the Tata group of companies.

Making a sustainable difference for over 125 years

Through the century, the Tata Trusts have constantly endeavoured to achieve societal and economic development for attaining self-sustained growth relevant to the nation. They support an assortment of causes such as health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, livelihoods, social justice and inclusion, skilling, migration and urbanisation, environment, digital literacy, sports, arts, craft and culture, and disaster management to name a few.

They seek to empower, enable and transform communities across India, while improving the quality of life of the tribal, underserved, underprivileged, backward and minority sections, and laying special emphasis on women and children. They have partnered with numerous organisations across the length and breadth of India.

The Trusts established India’s first cancer care hospital, and have seeded and supported several leading institutions – including amongst others, the Tata Centre for Technology and Design at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), the Tata Centre for Technology and Design within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chicago, Tata Centre for Genetics and Society at the University of California San Diego, Harvard University South Asia Institute, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) - Bengaluru, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) - Mumbai, Tata Memorial Centre - Mumbai, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) - Mumbai, and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) – Bengaluru. They also provide individual grants to support the education and medical costs of the deserving.

The strategic shift

The Trusts have constantly evolved with the changing needs of society and rising developmental challenges of the country. In 2015, they repurposed and recalibrated their strategy and approach. Apart from being a conventional grant-giving foundation, in order to maximise the impact of their work, they also chose to directly implement their interventional programmes, harness affordable and innovative technology, and forge collaborative partnerships with governments, international and local NGOs, and private welfare organisations while presenting a single unified interface to beneficiaries.

By signing-up for operational responsibility for key outcomes and driving those processes through a collaborative approach, the Trusts have taken a lot more ownership of the end outcome of their programmes.

Looking forward

To the Tata Trusts, each developmental challenge is a clarion call for designing interventional programmes and initiatives that stay sustained over the necessary period. Their numerous interventions address several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and stand testimony to the Trusts’ process compliance and their ability to take risks and demonstrate proof of concept at scale. Notwithstanding their presence and contribution in ongoing developmental projects, the Trusts clearly define an exit route for themselves once their programmes achieve the desired traction and scale of operations.

With several new strategies and solutions lined-up within each portfolio, the Trusts are marching towards achieving their mission of positively and sustainably impacting millions of lives through their interventions.